Google Adwords and Clickbank hoplinks

[tim27487]

Does anyone know the rule for Display URL and Actual URL in Google Adwords?

I've been promoting a ClickBank affiliate product and Google doesn't seem to like my Clickbank hoplink which leads to my sales page.

My Adwords Ad was DISAPPROVED. Is this because my hoplink and display url are not similar?

Anyone know a way around this? E.g Buying a related domain and redirecting to my sales page?

[GeorgR.]

write a review page with links on it. Yes, you cant use hoplinks right from withing adwords, you always need your OWN landing page.

[tim27487]

Although your saying the display and destination have to be the same, this is not possible as it is an affiliate product and the owner of the product owns the actual domain name.

Would purchasing a very similar domain name be an option?

[GeorgR.]

well,

you CAN always use something which is called "cloaking" using iframes and similar (sorry, you would have to do some googling)....which basically makes the vendor site appear on YOUR Url using some "tricks". (Your site name doesnt really matter - however, if its relevant to the topic the better.)

Those methods (or redirects) have a disadvantage, especially when it comes to adwords: They display the vendor site in an iframe or do a redirect, basically its not a real site. Therefore google gives you bad quality score.

The solution is that you make your own site, blog and then promote the product on the site. Another solution would be using one of those tools (for redirects or iframes). I myself have a product "affiliate site quick" which actually clones a vendor page and it creates a real site. (I wouldnt promote my product otherwise but this topic seems to be highly relevant). It would enable you to "clone" a vendor site on your own url.
However, you NEED your own site/URL, no matter what method you use.

Also, "review sites" convert VERY well..but you would need to put some work in it. You write a review on your site about a certain product, recomend the product etc..etc..and use the affiliate links within your site.

G.

[tim27487]

Just to confirm GeorgR the methods you use for your affiliate products are "cloaking" and "using iframes"?

What do you recommend is the best way besides creating a review site?

[tim27487]

What is the best method to use if I do not have my own site?

[John Bowie]

you should check some kosher review sites on the best cloaking software to get the best working material. Without pushing them, Frank Kern's infomillionaire course/site has some nifty cloaking software too.

[GeorgR.]

Originally Posted by tim27487

Just to confirm GeorgR the methods you use for your affiliate products are "cloaking" and "using iframes"?

What do you recommend is the best way besides creating a review site?

i dont use any of those since i use my own product for this purpose This is, if i do NOT make a whole new review site from scratch.

[GeorgR.]

Originally Posted by tim27487

What is the best method to use if I do not have my own site?

there are some loopholes in adwords..but you are just asking for trouble, disapprovals and bad Quality Score. You NEED your site...even if it's just the domain.

then use a cloaker like:

ClickBank Link Cloaker

(this one is pretty good)

However, what i said still applies: Since its only a cloak you might enjoy bad quality score on adwords and thus high bids.

[livingmudfish]

Hi,

I’m resurrecting this thread. I have also been disapproved for using the affiliate link to jump from a Google ad to the sales page. I have also used javascript redirects but Google soon got on to that technique too.

So I’ve been going down the route of reviewing the product. To make things easier for me I took a look at what the competition is doing and low and behold they are linking directly to the sales page with the hoplink clearly visible. How are they getting away with it when I can’t?

Sour grapes? Probably, but a level playing field please Google.

And another thing. I’m paying for adwords but whenever I type in my keywords I never see my ad. I refresh the page until there are no paid ads showing and never see it. How do I know it’s out there? It’s a very narrow niche, there’s never any more than 3-4 ads on the page.

Any ideas?

[Lucid]

One more time:

The final destination page domain name MUST match your display URL. The URL that the user will see in their browser's address bar is "somesite.com", your display URL must match that and show "somesite.com". The destination URL can be totally different, example "thirdpartytracking.com?userid=12345&lp=somesite.c om/somepage". Just as long as the display URL matches where the clicks eventually ends up.

Also, Google does not want you to send clicks to bridge pages. In other words, if you have a site where you have affiliate links, your ad will be disapproved and/or your quality score will drop to 1 which effectively stops your ads from showing. Continue doing this and your account will be terminated. You have to link clicks from the ad to the merchant's page.

[affiliated survivor]

Are you sure it´s because of affiliate links? What about price comparison sites? May be Google is dropping this people not because of affiliate links but because of the new rules.
Or is it better to have many affiliate links than only one. So people can choose which link to click? As with price comparison sites that have affiliate links but are not just bridge pages, because they offer a service (The price comparing)?

[Prashaant]

Another option.... get your clickbank vendor to use the Clickbank Vendor Toolkit.. see my signature..
that way, you can link directly to the vendor's website like this:
http://www.vendorsite.com/?cid=clickbankID and it also supports Google/Yahoo conversion tracking for affiliates

[Lucid]

Am I sure it´s because of affiliate links? Yes. Google tells you so:

Certain kinds of websites are not allowed per our policies because the user experience is of low quality or we consistently receive negative feedback from our users about these kinds of pages. These sites include:

* Affiliates who provide limited value by being a bridge page with the intent of solely driving traffic to another site or who are framing an affiliate site


I don't see how it can be any clearer. If you want to drive traffic using Adwords, you cannot have any affiliate links.

[Sancho Sanches]

I don't know if someone mentioned it cause I can't read the whole thread now.

Originally Posted by tim27487

Although your saying the display and destination have to be the same, this is not possible as it is an affiliate product and the owner of the product owns the actual domain name.

Your affiliate link has clickbank.net in it and the sellers site is another domain but that doesn't matter.

What matters is where you end up - the final destination.

A redirect, to the best of my knowledge and which comes in handy for tracking, is legitimate.

Whatever the site is that you end up on THAT'S the display URL you need to have.

[Sancho Sanches]

Originally Posted by Lucid

I don't see how it can be any clearer. If you want to drive traffic using Adwords, you cannot have any affiliate links.

It could be clearer.

People still successfully direct link although I don't recommend it other than for testing purposes.

So, considering what that says and what I know I take that as meaning they don't want several advertisers advertising the same things on an individual search results page.

Which brings us to the "one display url" rule.

This to me is the most logical conclusion I can come to based on the information I have.

But it's vague and people reading this should take this with a grain of salt.

This is just what I think.

Besides, Google not allowing affiliate links, even when there is only one affiliate advertiser per serp, makes no sense for reasons I should probably keep to myself at least for now.

But no, I highly doubt that means they don't allow affiliate links.

[Lucid]

Originally Posted by Sancho Sanches

It could be clearer.

People still successfully direct link although I don't recommend it other than for testing purposes.

"Affiliates who provide limited value by being a bridge page with the intent of solely driving traffic to another site"

Clear to me and the events of the last few months demonstrate it. What is not clear to you?

Note there is no mention here of direct linking as you imply. When I say "affiliate link" I am talking about your own hoplink or whatever else you want to call it, I'm not an affiliate marketer so maybe I'm not familiar with the lingo.

There is NO problem linking your ads to a merchant's page. It's linking your own pages which contain your links that is the problem.

Now I agree with you that the underlying reason is very likely to have only one ad per "eventual" domain in order to improve user experience. And I totally agree with Google's decision and approach. It makes sense. Doesn't matter if there would be only one or ten advertisers. This decision effectively ensures there is only one advertiser per domain. In other words, affiliate marketers' only option is to direct link.